As I cared for the flowers each day, I noticed how they slowly changed.
A bud that was closed yesterday might start to bloom today.
And a flower that looked beautiful yesterday might quietly fall the next day.
Watching these changes, I naturally began to feel something — a quiet sense of fragility.
This feeling of "fragility" is very special in Japanese culture.
It might be similar to the English word ephemeral, which means short-lived or temporary.
But I think the Japanese word hakanasa has a deeper, more emotional meaning.
It expresses something delicate and beautiful that words in English can’t fully explain.
I feel lucky to live in a culture where this kind of feeling can grow naturally.
By the way, in April this year, Japan had 3.9 million foreign visitors — the highest number ever in a single month.
Most of them came to see the cherry blossoms.
People from all over the world are touched by the short-lived beauty of sakura.
Just like love, the feeling of beauty has no borders.
It reminded me that beauty is something everyone can feel, no matter where we come from.